Spurs
by Rivendell101
Summary: Young, New York journalist, Lucy Heartfilia, is given a job by her boss to write a brand new article series. Only, to do this she has to spend the summer in Magnolia, Colorado to report on a local Rodeo Circuit. A story might not be the only thing she finds there. "Alright, Cowboy Casanova, it was great meeting you, but can you please get off me?"


**AN: New Fic! This started as a joke on Tumblr, but then I had to write it!**

 **Spurs**

 **Goodbye, New York**

Lucy blinks at him stupidly. "I'm sorry, what?" she asks, arms uncrossing as she leans forward, hands braced against her boss's desk. Her mouth drops open in shock, eyes wide, and Jose Porla—Mr. No-Nonsense-I-Hate-Everyone-Get-Out-Of-My-Office-Heartfilia—throws his head back and laughs at her dumbfounded expression—that bastard. He _laughs_ , and if Lucy wasn't so in need of her job, she would wipe that look right off his face. Sadly, she can't do that, because she would probably be fired—or arrested. Possibly both. And she cannot go to prison. She has way too much to do, there's no time in her schedule for prison.

"Miss Heartfilia," Mr. Porla breaks in, a smug smile on his face. She simply stares back with a tight lipped frown, waiting for an answer that she doesn't particularly want, because she knows that she heard him right the first time, she just wants him to say it again. Actually, that's a lie. She doesn't want him to repeat it, but she needs to hear it again. God, she hates being a journalist. No, she doesn't. That's a lie. She just hates the traveling. That's a lie too, she loves to travel. She just doesn't want to go to—

"Colorado," he finishes her thoughts. "I'm sending you to Magnolia, Colorado." He ignores the pained look on her face. "Your flight leaves tomorrow at five in the morning. You'll be staying there for the duration of the summer." Her heart sinks into her stomach, and she has to bite her tongue to keep herself from arguing. It won't do her any good in the end. Jose already hates her for some unexplained reason—she thinks it might be because of her dad. Or maybe it was the time she spilled coffee all over his brand new, white suit-which was a total accident. Kind of.

"I haven't been that far west, since—" Lucy cuts herself off, the whisper dipping down to nothing as she catches herself. She hadn't meant to say that. Especially not to him. He doesn't need to know about that specific time in her life. Jose raises a brow at her, cocking his head to the side and leaning forward. She takes a step back.

"Since what?" he asks, voice low. Lucy can practically see the thoughts whirling through his head-how he wants to pick through her brain to find all of her little insecurities and use them against her. She won't let him though. She isn't a pushover like people assume she is. People don't get to just walk all over her.

Her jaw clenches. "Nothing," she replies, a tight-lipped smile spread across her face. "I was just thinking out loud. It was nothing important." Not to him, at least. Lucy swallows thickly, thinking of a way to change the subject. "So, why am I being sent to Colorado?" she asks him, watching as he leans back in his seat with an easy smile. She doesn't like that look at all. Her lips twitch briefly. "Obviously there's some kind of story down there."

Jose nods in agreement, turning serious for the first time since she's entered the room. "Have you ever heard of the Rodeo, Miss Heartfilia?" He looks at her with steely eyes, waiting for a response.

She has to keep herself from snorting. "I'm sure everyone has." The internet is a very useful thing, after all. Though, she figures, Jose Porla probably doesn't know how to use it. He is not the most tech savvy person in the world. He's practically medieval when it comes to things. In fact, he has a paperweight that looks like a canon. A real canon. Why does he have that? Does it work? It would be pretty cool if it did work. That would be pretty fantastic. She would get one just to shoot Cana with it when her roommate was being an idiot.

His eyes narrow as he glares at her. "Watch your attitude," he warns her. "Don't forget who you're talking to." She bites her tongue, nodding slowly, but she doesn't turn away. If he wants to fire people for being snarky, he'll have to fire eighty-percent of his employees. He sneers at her, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Well, since you seem to know so much about the Rodeo circuit, you get to report on all of it," he tells her with a vicious smirk. Lucy stiffens.

"And that will take me three months?" Lucy crosses her arms, shifting her weight to her left leg. She raises a brow at him, lips pursed skeptically. She's never been to a rodeo. She's never reported on one, and she's never watched one on T.V. Still, three months seems like an awful long time.

"The events take place over the course of twelve weeks," he begins. Lucy makes a face. Twelve weeks isn't _too_ bad—she could be stuck in Greenland for two months in the middle of winter, again-but it's still not how she wants to spend her summer. "There are different levels of competition, ranging from toddler's playing games to professional bull riders. Events run from Thursday to Saturday each week." Lucy doesn't question it. "You will be covering everything. Including events and interviews with participants."

Lucy blinks at him, a slight frown pulling at her lips. "And how will I know who to interview?" she asks him. Considering that there are a lot of people in Colorado, she might have some differentiating between actual cowboys and people who dress like them. Especially with there being a rodeo in town. She imagines everyone will be looking rather cowboy like. Not that she has a problem with that. It will probably be something _nice_ to look at. She just doesn't want anything to make her job that much harder.

At least she likes interviewing. It's always fun to listen to people's kooky answers!

He smirks. "Look for the men being tossed of the backs of large animals." She snorts, shaking her head. Technically, he isn't wrong. Jose might be an absolute dick and a horrible boss who only gave her a job because he owed her dad a favor—even though she would have gotten the job regardless, because she's good at what she does. Jose just likes to pretend she's an invalid—he's always good for a quick laugh.

She bites her lip, wondering how her friends are going to take this. She distinctly recalls Cana mentioning a trip to Rio for the three of them—herself, Cana, and their other roommate Levy, of course—in August, but that's not likely to happen anymore. Levy probably won't be too happy about that. She's always talking about how the three of them never have time for each other anymore. And Cana won't be happy either because now she can't get drunk in Rio with her two best friends. Well too bad for Cana! Now she'll just have to get drunk alone with Levy!

Lucy has to agree with Levy, though. There's never a time when all three of them are free—what with Lucy's soul sucking job and writing on the side, Levy working full time as a junior editor at a lesser known publishing company and helping Lucy with her own work-which Lucy does not consider as "quality time together," because usually she's trying not to rip her hair out—and Cana as a professional photographer. The fact that the three of them live together doesn't matter-there's still not enough time for them to hang out.

Freezing suddenly, Lucy gasps, eyes wide as she remembers something. "Jose!" she screams, slamming her hands on top of his desk, practically vaulting over it. Jose startles, flinging himself back against his chair as Lucy leans over his desk. "I mean, Boss!" she corrects herself, a horrified look stretched across her face. "Where am I staying?" she asks. "Is there a hotel? Or do you just expect me to sleep in a ditch? I would not last a week in a ditch!"

"Heartfilia!" he barks. Lucy takes a step back, mouth closing with a _snap_. Jose shakes his head, rubbing a hand over his face with a sigh. "You'll be staying with an old business partner of mine. He retired several years ago and now runs a bar with his grandson. they'll show you around and make sure nothing bad happens to you."

Lucy glares. "And what's the catch?" she asks.

Jose quirks a brow. "What catch?"

She scoffs. "You're telling me some stranger is just going to allow me into his house for an entire summer and there's nothing he wants in return?" She rolls her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not stupid. What's the catch?"

He stares at her for several long seconds, to the point where she squirms awkwardly where she's standing. Finally, he gives her a wide smile and folds his hands in front of him. "Miss Heartfilia, have you ever worked at a bar before?"

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Cana screams, slamming her fist onto the counter violently, a pout on her face. "That asshole can't take you away all summer," she whines, reaching for Lucy and pulling the other girl into a tight hug, practically smothering her. "We were going to go to Rio!" The brunette sobs dramatically, clinging to the smaller blonde and practically dragging both of them to the floor as Cana slips from her seat on one of the bar stools in their kitchen, the bumbling brunette's leg getting caught in one of the stool's rungs. This would have sent Cana face first onto the floor had Lucy not caught her just in time—which is a common occurrence in the Heartfilia-McGarden-Alberona household. Cana drunk falls off of everything and Levy can be quite the klutz sometimes.

Lucy merely rolls her eyes, already used to Cana's eccentricity. Having met the slightly older girl during her first year of college, Lucy feels like she knows the older girl pretty damn well. There isn't much Cana can surprise her with anymore. This clingy, over-emotional persona is one she knows well. It usually means that Cana is—

Lucy sighs, trying to squirm out of her grip. "Cana, are you drunk? Let go!"

"No!" Cana wails back, trying to suffocate Lucy. "Well, maybe I'm a little bit drunk—but no, I will not let go!" The brunette's legs wrap around Lucy's, sending both girls tumbling to the ground in a pile of limbs. Lucy squeals as Cana lands on her stomach, elbow jabbing her in the gut and knocking the wind out of her.

"Cana!" she wheezes, trying to push the brunette away with one hand pressed to the side of her face, the other shoving at Cana's shoulder. "You're crushing me!" Cana bats Lucy's hands away, practically hissing at her as swats back at Lucy.

Cana smiles down at her wickedly. "Good!" She throws her head back as she laughs. "You don't have to leave if you're dead!" She reaches out, trying to jokingly strangle Lucy, who screams and kicks the other girl away before scrambling to her feet.

"Why do you always resort to murder!?" Lucy shouts, leaping backwards to put space between the two of them. She glares at Cana, swiping her bangs away from her eyes. Why are he friends so absolutely _batshit crazy_? She could have been friends with normal people. Nice, normal people who don't _try to kill her in order to foil her bosses plans!_

"It's an easy solution!" Cana fires back, pointing a finger at Lucy as she rolls her eyes like it's obvious. "I could get away with it easily!" She places a hand on her hip, giving Lucy a "duh!" look.

Lucy gapes at her friend, blanching. "Your dad is a cop!" she reminds her friend, moving so that the bar in the kitchen is situated between them, just incase Cana decides to attack again. The other girl bares her teeth in what's supposed to be a smile. Lucy shudders.

"Who do you think is going to help me hide the body?" Cana asks roguishly, smirking. Lucy gawks at the brunette, shocked by what she just said, and Cana lunges right, Lucy scrambling to the other side of the bar to stay away from her.

Their odd game of tag continues for several minutes. With Cana trying to grab Lucy, and Lucy ducking out of the way just in the knick of time, fearing for her life each time Cana even breathed in her direction. Finally, Lucy makes a break for it, dashing for the living room, screaming her head off. She knows the neighbors won't come to help—they're already used to the shenanigans that go on in Apartment 3B. The three have lived here since Lucy and Levy were eighteen and Cana was nineteen, by now everyone knows that the girls in 3B are _absolutely insane_.

Well, she's pretty sure everyone has that figured out. Maybe not the old man in 4A, or the new family in 2E, but they'll learn eventually.

They always do.

With a horrified gasp, Lucy shakes her head. "Cana, I don't think this relationship is working out!" She leaps for a pillow on the couch, hoping to use it as a weapon against her friend, but Cana dives for her, palm wrapping around Lucy's ankle and sending the blonde face first onto the rug, Cana trying to drag her across the floor.

"Let me love you, dammit!" Cana yells back, still pulling Lucy across the floor.

The front door unlocks.

Lucy freezes, gaze sliding to the door. Cana stills as well, eyes wide as the door opens, a disgruntled Levy entering the apartment. The short girl simply blinks at them, a blank look on her face, and pushes a lock of her blue hair behind her ear. Her brown eyes flick back and forth between the other two girls rapidly, confusion in her eyes.

"Umm…" she trails off, head tilting to the right as continues to stare. She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it again, shaking her head slowly and releasing a heavy sigh. "Would you like me to leave?" she asks them uneasily.

"No!" Lucy and Cana shout together, scrambling away from each other, both shouting incoherently at the befuddled bluenette, who shrinks back with a look of horror.

"Cana tried to kill me!" Lucy shouts, pointing an accusing finger at the brunette, sending an angry glare her way. She sends a quick glance Levy's way, imploring the smaller girl to agree with her.

"Lucy isn't going to Rio because her boss is a dick!" Cana shoots back, snarling at Lucy, dark eyes fierce!

"She said she would get her dad to help her hide my body!" Levy's head whips in Cana's direction, horror on her face. Cana gasps, clearly offended that Lucy mentioned that to their other roommate.

"She's going to be in Colorado all summer because of her job!"

"She nearly strangled me!"

"Blondie is ditching us for sexy, sweaty cowboys—" Cana cuts herself off, a smile creeping onto her face. "You know, on second thought, take me with you!" Lucy glares. Levy blanches. Cana just looks pleased.

"I'm not ditching anybody for sexy, sweaty cowboys!" Though the thought doesn't sound unappealing. Lucy doesn't really want to think about that though.

"Umm…" Levy repeats, watching the two girls argue. Cana and Lucy are practically in each other's faces, smoke billowing out of their ears. "Guys?" Levy whispers.

Cana snaps, pointing at Lucy, a grin creeping onto her face. "We could get you fired!" she says. "If that bastard fires you, than you can't leave!"

Lucy sends the other girl a dirty look. "Great idea, Cana! I get fired and all three of us end up out on our asses!" she spits sarcastically. "Brilliant!" She throws her hands up in the air, eyes narrowed. Cana glares back, mouth open and ready to retaliate—

"Guys!" Levy shouts, drawing the attention of both girls, who look at her with wide eyes. "What in the world is going on?" she asks calmly, lips pulled down in a bemused frown.

Lucy sighs. "Jose is sending me on a job all summer and Cana is upset, because me having a job is, apparently, ruining her vacation," she explains, shooting Cana a dirty look. "So, excuse me for having a dirtbag boss that hates me and wants to effectively get rid of me all summer!" Cana pouts, her shoulders drooping, and Levy looks sad too. "Look, I can't go to Rio, I'm sorry, you two have fun, okay?" she tells them, giving them as big of a smile as she can muster. "I'll see you guys when I get back, and over summer we can Skype and text."

Cana crosses her arms, dropping to the floor with an angry huff. "It's not the same though," she whines. "I can't grab you inappropriately from halfway across the world!"

"Yeah." Lucy rolls her eyes. "That's totally not something I'm going to miss," she tells the girl seriously. "Besides, you can always attack Levy." Cana's head snaps around so she can stare at the third occupant of the room—who squeals and screams "no!" before the brunette can do anything.

The girl on the floor makes a sound of distress and flops onto her back, arms and legs spread out. "This sucks!" she moans. "I just wanted to spend my summer with my besties and now one is leaving!" Lucy rolls her eyes, nudging Cana in the ribs with her toe. The other girl just makes a sound of protest and rolls onto her stomach, saying something about how "unfair" it all is.

"So." Levy clears her throat loudly, gaining back the other girls' attention. "When do you leave, Lu?"

"Uhh, well…" Lucy glances from Levy—who's still standing in the doorway, eyes wide and curious—and Cana—on the floor, her dark hair a tangled mess on her head. Lucy coughs awkwardly, staring at the floor. "Tomorrow."

"What!?"

Lucy doesn't have time to respond, because in the next second she's on the ground, Levy perched on her stomach and Cana with her arms wrapped around her legs. Both are screaming something about how Lucy isn't allowed to leave and how much they'll miss her and a whole bunch of other random things.

And Lucy? Lucy laughs. She throws her head back and laughs with tears streaming down her face.

She leaves tomorrow at five in the morning and she just knows that Cana and Levy are going to make her stay up all night and watch stupid comedies, and then in the morning they'll all scramble to get Lucy's bags packed, and it'll practically be Hell and Lucy will be tired and cranky on the plane, but that's okay. She just wants to spend time with her best friends, because they have less than twelve hours left together before she leaves.

(And she swears she's going to kill Jose when she gets back. Why did he wait until the last possible day to tell her? Sometimes, she really hates him. Maybe she'll quite when she gets back. Find a new—better job. She'll find a better job!)

Levy and Cana stare down at her like she's insane, but then they exchange a look and suddenly they're laughing too. And Cana may or may not be crying into her skirt, but Lucy honestly doesn't care. She's going to miss them like crazy.

"I love you guys," Lucy tells them, smiling through the tears running down her face. "Don't forget that I'm coming back and everything will be just fine." She doesn't know if they're actually listening or not, but it doesn't make a difference to her. "And you guys are going to have a great time in Rio and take lots of pictures, and I'll be really envious when I get back. And Cana will also be super envious because I'm spending my summer with attractive cowboys."

Cana chokes on her spit, coughing loudly and rolling away from the girls. Lucy and Levy can only stare as Cana claps her hands like some sort of deranged seal, which sends Levy into another fit of laughter.

"Hey, Lucy?" Levy says through her laughter. The blonde turns to her, a smile stretched across her face. "We love you too," Levy tells her. "Really, we do. So Cana and I will make sure to call everyday. Promise."

Lucy feels a lump rise in her throat. "Thanks, Levy."

She smiles back. "No problem."

"You know what! I'm getting out the nice wine!" Cana announces, stumbling to her feet and heading back to the kitchen.

Levy frowns, quirking a brow at the taller girl. "Cana, the nice wine is for special occasions only," she reminds her, crossing her arms.

Cana scoffs, rolling her eyes as she opens the fridge, digging for something in the back. "This is a special occasion!"

"You consider getting rid of me a 'special occasion?' " Lucy asks her, offended.

"Maybe."

* * *

Lucy sighs, resting her head against the window of the plane. She's only just left, but she already misses Levy and Cana. She's always hated leaving her friends, but sometimes it's what she has to go. It's not fun and she knows that it's going to be hard, but it's what she has to do.

At least the morning was memorable.

As predicted, the stayed up late watching dumb comedy movies until they fell asleep. They woke up at three in a panic and Lucy rushed to back a bag or two, Cana "helping" her, and Levy attempting to make some semblance of a breakfast. Lucy practically swallowed her eggs whole and ran out the door with a piece of toast in her mouth. Cana and Levy were right behind her, both screaming as they tried to hail a cab. The driver had stared at them in concern for a brief second before allowing them into the cab, clearly taken aback by their frazzled appearances—what with Levy's hair a tangled, poofy mess, and Cana wearing only a bikini top under her jacket, and all three of them struggling with Lucy's bags and tripping over everything.

Lucy snickers, shaking her head. Poor guy, he probably thought they were insane. At least he was nice enough to give them a ride though. Actually, a lot of people probably think they're crazy. Not that Lucy cares what anyone else thinks about her. It's none of their business what she does with herself or how she acts. Her friends love her and that's all that really matters.

Her laughter causes the man next to her to shoot her a dirty look, which she quickly apologizes for, turning back to the window soon after. She can barely see the ground through the clouds—not that the ground would look very interesting from all the way up here.

She's just glad that she's not afraid of heights. Or planes. Both would be really bad, what with her being a traveling journalist and (sometimes) photographer. She's been on planes more times than she remembers, and she's also been some pretty high places—nearly fell once too, but that's a story for another time.

Shifting in her seat once again, Lucy growls under her breath, unable to find a comfortable position. She knew she would be crabby this morning, she just knew it! She doesn't regret the time with Cana and Levy though. Not even a little.

Finally, deciding to take a nap, Lucy leans her head back, eyes on the ground below. The buildings of New York begin to disappear, and she knows that soon enough they'll be replaced with mountains and trees and open fields. She can't wait to see the mountains again. She's missed them all these years. Maybe she'll have time to go hiking. That would be fun. So long as she doesn't get lost, of course.

Smiling to herself, Lucy lets her eyes slip shut, settling into her seat comfortably.

"Goodbye, New York," she mumbles under her breath. "Hello, Magnolia, Colorado."

* * *

 **AN: Well, I've been working on this for the past two days. I had a bad bout of writer's block for a while. But I think I'm back now :) I'll get to working on my other fics ASAP. Though I might be deleting/editing a few.**

 **Some of you probably don't even care about that, but whatever!**


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